Method and system for out-of-band signaling for TCP connection setup

Abstract

TCP performance is improved over unreliable links so as to allow TCP connections to be set up when such connections are otherwise impossible. Out-of-band signaling may be used to synchronizing and establishing a connection between two TCP endpoints without modification to the TCP/IP protocol suite. A system may create a control channel to enable out-of-band signaling for TCP connection establishment between two TCP endpoints. The control channel may be achieved using a system that includes of a signaling broker, an agent application, and a virtual network interface and a capture module that together create the control channel for the TCP signaling traffic.

1. A method of executing out-of-band signaling for TCP using a control channel to setup and establish a TCP connection between first and second TCP endpoints, each of which has a TCP/IP suite, comprising the steps of:
 establishing a connection between the first and second TCP endpoints; 
 monitoring the TCP/IP suite of the first TCP endpoint for the presence of a TCP signaling packet; 
 capturing the TCP signaling packet at the first TCP endpoint; 
 sending the TCP signaling packet to the second TCP endpoint via the control channel; 
 replicating the TCP signaling packet at the second TCP endpoint; and 
 inserting the replicated TCP signaling packet in a TCP/IP suite of the second TCP endpoint. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising creating the control channel using a signaling broker, an agent application, and a virtual network interface and a capture module. 
     
     
       3. A system for executing out-of-band signaling for TCP using a control channel to setup and establish a TCP connection between first and second TCP endpoints in the presence of lost TCP signaling information, the system comprising:
 means for establishing a connection for passing a TCP signaling packet between the first and second TCP endpoints; 
 means for monitoring a TCP/IP suite of the first TCP endpoint for the TCP signaling packet; 
 means for capturing the TCP signaling packet at the first TCP endpoint; 
 means for sending the TCP signaling packet to the second TCP endpoint via the control channel; 
 means for replicating the TCP signaling packet at the second TCP endpoint; and 
 means for inserting the replicated TCP signaling packet in a TCP/IP suite of the second TCP endpoint. 
 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a signaling broker, an agent application, and a virtual network interface and a capture module that together create the control channel. 
     
     
       5. A method of establishing a TCP connection between a first endpoint and a second endpoint using an out-of-band control channel, comprising the steps of:
 receiving, at the second endpoint, a message from the first endpoint, the receiving step being performed in the presence of a connection established between the first and second TCP endpoints, wherein the message includes a TCP signaling packet captured at the first endpoint after the TCP/IP suite of the first TCP endpoint has been monitored for the presence of a TCP signaling packet, and wherein the message is received at the second endpoint via the out-of-band control channel; 
 replicating the TCP signaling packet at the second endpoint; and 
 inserting the replicated TCP signaling packet in a TCP/IP suite of the second TCP endpoint.